Awnings



Jan. 11, 1966 O. s. WILBOURN AWNINGS 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2, 1962 7 Many INVENTOR. OPAL \5. 14016 0 (JR/V United States Patent 3,228,152 AWNINGS Spa] 5. Wilhourn, Loma Linda, Caiif., assignor to American Screen Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Florida Eiied Indy 2, 1962, Ser. No. 207,474 6 Claims. (Cl. 52-78) The present invention relates to awnings suitable for shading windows, doors, and the like, and it relates more particularly to awning constructions employing a plurality of partially overlapping slats or pans.

Awnings of this general type are commonly constructed entirely or at least partially of metal and in order to minimize the cost and to improve the quality, it is desirable to form or otherwise manufacture the various parts thereof in a factory, where metal stamping equipment, metal treating equipment, and the like can be conveniently located. However, because of the rather bulky nature of an assembled awning, it is desirable that it be shipped to the site of the installation in disassembled from for later assembly at the time of installation. Although various awning constructions have been developed in accordance with this general purpose, they have not been altogether satisfactory and, therefore, it would be desirable to provide a more durable awning which is attractive in appear ance, which is comparable or lower in cost to the prior art constructions, and which can be more easily assembled and installed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved awning.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved awning construction wherein the various part may readily assembled by persons generally untrained in the mechanical arts.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved awning which may be made of metal, which is strong and durable is construction, which may be easily assembled, and which, when disassembled, may be packaged in a compact manner.

Still another object of the present invention is toprovide a new and improved awning construction in which a minimum number of different parts are employed, thereby requiring a relatively few stamping dies for manufacturing the various parts.

Briefly, the above and further objects are realized in accordance with the present invention by providing an awning in which a plurality of partially overlapping slats are mutually interlocked and supported on two or more inclined rafters having integral struck-out bracket portions securing the slats thereto at the location of the respective interlocks. Simple clip means are employed for attaching the top-most slat to the rafters and a sturdy valance construction i employed along the bottom of the awning to provide a strong, weather-resistant construction able to withstand high winds of the kind expected to be encountered in normal use.

Further objects and advantages and a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of an awning embodying the present invention installed over a residential type window;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view of an awning embodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged sectional view illustrating the manner in which adjacent slats are mutually interlocked and secured to the rafters;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, perspective view of a novel 3,228,152 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 ice clip used in the awning of the present invention for attaching the uppermost slat to the rafters;

FIG. 5 is an end view looking from the back of the awning toward the front, illustrating the manner in which the clip of FIG. 4 is mounted; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view partly in section illustrating the manner in which the awning rafters are attached to a supporting wall surface.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an awning 10 secured to a conventional vertical wall 11 over a window 12 to protect it from the elements such, for example, as sun, rain, snow and the like. As will become more apparent as this description proceeds, the awning It) employs a very few parts and most of these are similar, thereby facilitating both the packaging of the awning parts and the later assembly thereof, while favorably affecting the manufacturing cost.

Considered in greater detail, the awning 10 comprises a plurality of individual slats or pans, a valance pan 13, a plurality of intermediate pans 14, and a top pan 15. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each pan 14 includes a reentrant, channel-like lower end portion including a downwardly directed web 16 extending normal to the main body portion, and a ninety degree flange 18 terminating at the marginal edge of the slat. The body surface of each pan is slightly serrated for improving the strength and appearance of the awning, and the upper end of each pan 14 is bent up and back upon itself to provide a flange 20 which meets with the adjoining portion of the pan 14 at an interior acute angle so that the upper end of each pan is generally V-shaped in cross section. It will be observed that the flange 20 extends in an upward direction from the main body portion of the slat while the lower end including the portions 16 and 18 is bent downwardly. The upper end of each of the pans may thus be interlocked with the lower end of the next upper pan. The series of interlocked pans 14 lies normal to and is supported on a plurality of inverted channel rafters 22, only one of which is visible in FIG. 1, spaced inward of the side edges of the pans. The rafters 22 are identical and each includes a pair of flanges 24 which depend from a web 26 providing a flat upper surface on which the pans 14 lie.

For the purpose of securing the pans 14 to each rafter 22, there is provided a plurality of brackets 28 formed by tongues which are struck out from the web 26 to overlie the flanges 20 at the upper end of the pans. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper end of each tongue is connected to the web 26 and the lower end of each tongue is open. As shown, each tongue is shaped to conform to the flange 20 and, therefore, it has a first portion 31 extending at substantially right angles to the web 26. The portion 31 connects with an intermediate portion 32 which meets the portion 31 at an interior angle of about degrees. The portion 32 connects at its other end to a depending lip 33 providing the marginal edge of the bracket 28. The lip 33 overlies the upper marginal edge of the pan flange 20 to prevent each pan 14 from sliding along the rafters 22. Moreover, the tongues 28 prevent outward movement of the pans 14 from the rafters. The uppermost pan 15, while of the same general construction as the intermediate pans 14, is bent downwardly over the upper end of the rafters 22 to provide a depending web portion 38 which lies flat against a dependent flange 40 at the upper end of the rafters. It will be seen from FIGS. 2 and 5 that the flange 40 is a downwardly bent extension of web 26, and that the side flanges 24 are cut away near the upper end to provide an access space to a mounting screw 42 (FIG. 6) which extends through an open ended slot 44 in the flange 4G for securing each rafter to the wall 11. The uppermost pan is secured at its upper end to the rafters by metallic flashing clips 48 each having a downwardly opening channel portion 50 at the top which slips down in gripping relationship over the upwardly facing marginal edge of the top pan 15. The clip 48 has a central body portion which tapers inwardly from the upper channel 50 to an off-turned tab portion 52, which is loosely received in the slot 45, thereby to secure the top pan 15 to the associated rafter. Inasmuch as the pans are all formed of a resilient metallic material such, for example, as aluminum sheet stock, when the rafters are pulled up tightly against the wall 11 by the screws 42, the reversely bent end portion of the top pan 15 and the body portion of the clip 48 bend back against the face of the flange 49 to the position illustrated in FIG. 6. If desired, the space between the pan 15 and the wall 11 may be calked.

The lower end of each of the rafters 22 is bent down wardly to provide a vertical portion 22a, whose weblies parallel with the depending mounting flange at the top of the rafter. Near the very bottom, the flanges 24 are cut away and the web is bent normal to the depending vertical portion to provide a horizontal flange 60. The valance pan 13 has its lower marginal end 62 reversely bent over the flange 68, thereby to secure the bottom side of the Valance pan 13 to the rafters. The valance pan 13 is provided with a bend 64 near the top thereof whereby the inner surface of the pan conforms to the outer flat surface of the rafters 22, and the upper marginal end of the valance pan 13 is reversely bent in the same manner as the pans 14 to provide a reversely extending flange 66 which snap fits beneath the lowermost one of the bracket tongues 28, thereby to secure the valance pan to the rafters. As best shown in FIG. 2, the lowermost one of the intermediate pans 14 is interlocked at the bottom with the upper end of the valance pan 13.

A relatively heavy L-shaped valance member 68 is secured to the rafters 22 over the valance pan 13 and in cludes a face portion 70, a bottom web portion 72 and an upturned lip 74 along the rear edge. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the valance member 72 is secured to the balance pan 13 by means of a plurality of rivets 76, which are disposed in offset relationship from the rafters 22.

The lower portion of the awning is secured to the wall 11 by means of a brace 80 which is pivotally attached at its forward end to the rafter 22, slightly above the valance and has a depending mounting flange 82 at its rearward side facing toward the supporting wall 11. Like the mounting flange 40, the mounting flange 82 is also provided with an open-ended vertical slot 84 to facilitate mounting and dismounting of the awning 19 to the wall 11. The brace 80 is a channel member having a web 86 at the bottom with a pair of upstanding side flanges 87 which extend, at the forward end of the brace 80, beyond the web 86 to provide a pair of mounting ears 87a, which fit between the side flanges 24 on each rafter 22. A bolt 88 extends through suitable aligned apertures in the ears 87a, and the flanges 24 to pivotally secure the brace 80 to the flange 24. Preferably, a self-locking nut (not visible) is used on the inward end of the bolt 88 to secure it in place. If desired, the brace 80 and the rafter 22 may be formed from identical channel members and in that case the ears 87a of the brace should be placed with one ear inside the rafter channel 22 and the other ear outside the channel. Preferably, the outermost ear 87 on the brace should be the one located within the rafter channel.

For purposes of storage and shipment of an awning prior to the initial installation thereof, the intermediate pans, the rafters, the braces, the clips, the top pan, and the valance assembly of the valance pan 62 and the valance member 70 may be packaged separately. At the site of the installation the pans may be assembled to the rafters beginning with the valance assembly and working upwardly to the top of the pan 36 which should then be clipped in place to the rafters by means of the spring clips 48. In order to assemble each pan to the rafters, the reversely bent top portion is merely pressed into the bracket 28 whereby the flange 20, for example, bends back under the lip 33 and then snaps back into the position shown in FIG. 3 to lock the pan to the rafter. The braces should then be bolted to the rafters 22 and the top support screws 42 should be partially screwed into the wall 11. Similar mounting screws 90 should be attached to the walls for receipt thereof in the slots 84 in the braces 80. The awning then may be set against the wall over the window 12 and lowered vertically, so that the sets of screws 42 and 90 are received in the respective slots 44 and 84. Preferably, the screws 42 and 90 are now brought up tight to prevent any relative movement between the flanges 44 and 82 and the wall 11. The installation is now complete. Should it be desired to remove the awning for any reason, it may be readily removed from the wall by merely loosening the screws 42 and 9t and lifting the awning vertically until the slots 44 and 84 clear the screws 42 and 90. If desired, the awning can then be readily disassembled by removal of the clips 48 or it may be stored in assembled form.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrate-d in FIG. 1, the awning 10 is shown as shading a window, but it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that awnings are commonly used for covering doors and it is desirable that the same awning construction be usable for both applications. However, for use as a door awning, it is necessary that the valance be located at a more elevated position to permit normal use of the door, in which case the forward end of the braces 80 should be attached to the rafters 22 at the location of a pair of apertures 92 which are located about 8 /2 inches above the lower apertures through which the bolt 88 extends in the illustration of FIG. 2. Also, when the awning is used in a doorway, the flanges 82 on the braces 89 should be bent toward the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, thereby to lie parallel with the top mounting flange 4t to insure a rigid, tight connection of the braces 80 to the Wall 11.

While the present invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may make many changes and modifications without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention and, therefore, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an awning, the combination of a plurality of inclined rafters of inverted channel shape, a plurality of angular brackets extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper surface of each said rafter, a plurality of slats each having a downwardly bent, reentrant lower end portion and an upwardly bent, reentrant upper portion, said slats overlying and extending substantially perpendicular to said rafters with the upper end portion of each slat underlying one of said brackets on each said rafter, the lower end portion of each slat overlying one of said brackets and interlocking with the upper end portion of the next lower adjacent slat beneath one of said brackets, a top slat having a lower end interlocking with the uppermost one of said plurality of slats and having a downwardly bent upper end portion overlying the upper end of said rafters, an upper end of each said rafter being bent downwardly and slotted, and resilient fastening means cooperable with said slotted ends for securing the downwardly bent upper portion of said top slat to said rafters.

2. In an awning, the combination of a plurality of inclined rafters of inverted channel shape having an upper web portion, a plurality of angular brackets extending out wardly and downwardly from the upper surface of each said rafter, a plurality of slats each having a downwardly bent, reentrant lower end portion and an upwardly bent, reentrant upper portion, said slats overlying and extending substantially perpendicular to said rafters with the upper end portion of each slat underlying one of said brackets on each said rafter, the lower end portion of each slat overlying one of said brackets and interlocking with the upper end portion of the next lower adjacent slat beneath one of said brackets, an upper end part of the web portion of each said rafter being bent downwardly and slotted, a top slat having a lower end interlocking with the uppermost one of said plurality of slats and having a downwardly bent upper end portion overlying said upper end part of said rafters, and fastening means for securing the downwardly bent upper portion of said top slat to said rafters, said fastening means being a spring clip having a hooked upper end overlying an upwardly facing marginal edge of said top slat and a hooked lower end extending through said slotted upper end part into fastening engagement with said rafter.

3. An awning comprising a plurality of spaced, inclined rafters formed of rigid material, a plurality of slats formed of relatively resilient material with relationship to said rigid material, each slat overlying said rafters in substantially normal relationship therewith, said slats having mutually interlocking upper and lower edges, and struck out downwardly directed tongues on the upper surfaces of said rafters completely underlying and interlocking with said slats, said tongues each having a reentrant marginal lip behind which the upper marginal edge of each of said slats is resiliently snap-in fitted, a top slat having a lower end interlocking with the uppermost one of said plurality of slats and having a downwardly bent upper end portion overlying the upper end of said rafters, an upper end of each rafter being bent downwardly and slotted, and resilient fastening means cooperable with said slotted ends for securing the downwardly bent upper portion of said top slat to said rafters.

4. In a slatted awning, the combination of a plurality of inclined rafters of inverted channel shape, a plurality of angular bracket tongues extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper surface of each said rafter, each said bracket tongue having a slat receiving opening and a slat retaining lip, a plurality of slats made of resilient material, each slat having a downwardly bent, reentrant lower end portion and an upwardly bent, reentrant upper portion, said reentrant upper portion being shaped to pass through and be depressed by said opening and snap back to shape after passing said opening into slat locking engagement with said retaining lip, said reentrant lower portion of each slat overlying and extending substantially perpendicular to said rafters and interlocking with the upper end portion of the next lower adjacent slat beneath one of said brackets, a top slat having a lower end interlocking with the uppermost one of said plurality of slats and having a downwardly bent upper end portion overlying the upper end of said rafters, and fastening means securing the downwardly bent upper portion of said top slat to said rafters.

S. A snap together slatted awning structure comprising a plurality of inclined rafters of inverted channel shape, a plurality of angular bracket tongues extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper surface of each said rafter, each said bracket tongue having a slat receiving opening and a slat retaining lip, a plurality of slats made of resilient material, each slat having a down wardly bent, reentrant lower end portion and an upwardly bent, reentrant upper portion, said reentrant upper portion being shaped to pass through said opening and be depressed while within said opening, said upper portion after passing through said opening snapping back into slat locking engagement with said retaining lip, said reentrant lower portion of each slat overlying and extending substantially perpendicular to said rafters and interlocking with the upper end portion of the next lower adjacent slat beneath one of said brackets, a top slat having a lower end interlocking with the uppermost one of said plurality of slats and having a downwardly bent upper end portion overlying the upper end of said rafters, and fastening means securing the downwardly bent upper portion of said top slat to said rafters.

6. In a slatted awning, the combination of a plurality of inclined rafters of inverted channel shape, a plurality of angular bracket tongues extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper surface of each said rafter, each said bracket tongue having a slat receiving opening and a slat retaining lip, a plurality of slats made of resilient material, each slat having a downwardly bent, reentrant lower end portion and an upwardly bent, reentrant upper portion, said reentrant upper portion being shaped to pass through and be depressed in said opening and snap back to shape after passing said opening into slat locking engagement with said retaining lip, said reentrant lower portion of each slat overlaying and extending substantially perpendicular to said rafters and interlocking with the upper end portion of the next lower adjacent slat beneath one of said brackets, a top slat having a lower end interlocking with the uppermost one of said plurality of slats and having a downwardly bent upper end portion overlying the upper end of said rafters for securing said top slat to said rafters, and fastening means for securing the top slat to said rafters.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,632,538 3/1953 Schmidt 189-88 X 2,736,932 3/1956 Ray 20-57.5 2,812,813 11/1957 Zarnowski 20-57.5 X 2,848,763 8/1958 Schurger et al. 2057.5 2,859,494 11/1958 Hull 2057.5 2,883,719 4/1959 Hill 2057.5 3,016,584 1/1962 Fatula 18988 X FOREIGN PATENTS 607,400 10/ 1960 Canada.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN AWNING, THE COMBINATION OF A PLURALITY OF INCLINED RAFTERS, OF INVERTED CHANNEL SHAPE, A PLURALITY OF ANGULAR BRACKETS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM THE UPPER SURFACE OF EACH SAID RAFTER, A PLURALITY OF SLATS EACH HAVING A DOWNWARDLY BENT, REENTRANT LOWER END PORTION AND AN UPWARDLY BENT, REENTRANT UPPER PORTION, SAID SLATS OVERLYING AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID RAFTERS WITH THE UPPER END PORTION OF EACH SLAT UNDERLYING ONE OF SAID BRACKETS ON EACH OF SAID THE LOWER END PORTION OF EACH SLAT OVERLYING ONE OF SAID BRACKETS AND INTERLOCKING WITH THE UPPER END PORTION OF THE NEXT LOWER ADJACENT SLAT BENEATH ONE OF SAID BRACKETS, A TOP SLAT HAVING A LOWER END INTERLOCKING WITH THE UPPERMOST ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF SLATS HAVING A DOWNWARDLY BENT UPPER END PORTION OVERLYING THE UPPER END OF SAID RAFTERS, AND UPER END OF EACH SAID RAFTER BEING BENT DOWNWARDLY AND SLOTTED, AND RESILIENT FASTENING MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID SLOTTED ENDS FOR SECURING THE DOWNWARDLY BENT UPPER PORTION OF SAID TOP SLAT TO SAID RAFTERS. 